Snake Eater
by Person With Many Aliases
Summary: A bond beyond love or hate, beyond gender or color, beyond preferences and predilections, beyond ambitions or backgrounds: The sisterhood of soldiers, balancing between life and death.


Vita's gloved fingers slid through the fine battle gouges in the old tan columns and other ancient ruins that altogether circled the ancient temple which still bore the blasts and craters from that time.

It was strange to return here after so many years, and even more awkward to see the old ruins as it was now, in the bright blue sky and green grass eating into what stone floor that remained. The entire series of broken buildings were set in a slight depression along the various grassy hills that took up this portion of the planet. The scenic pasture clashed incredibly with the Wolkenritter's bloody memory of the place during the unforgiving winter blizzard to the point Vita wondered if she were even in the same place as before. Or maybe one of the two places were merely bad dreams.

Bad dreams that stayed in her mind after ten years? Yeah, right.

Behind her, Takamachi Nanoha, field commander of the Stars Squad approached, speaking over long distances to the other CO on the other side of the fields, while subordinates Subaru and Teana took the rear, admiring the ruins with distant interest.

Nanoha spoke to herself in part, "Really, Fate-chan? You've set up already? We're about to stop ourselves... Right, I'll talk to you after we're all settled in for tonight."

As the the legendary "White Devil" and "Aces of Aces" cut off mental communication, she was met with a annoyed mutter from Vita's back.

"Oi, Nanoha. You really want to spend another day in this hole?"

"Well, it _is_ a good location. It has cover, and it's close to our objective destination..." Nanoha shrugged.

"I can't believe you actually can just shrug at this place, after what happened to you..."

"It's nearly ten years since that time."

"Hmph. Tell that to your body."

"Vita-chan..."

"Whatever. Never let your guard down. Keep an eye on the kids Nanoha, I'm going to make a round of the area to make sure the perimeter is secure. See you later."

With that, Vita's deep rouge form soared off into the sky. It caught the attention of Teana and Subaru, who closed in behind Nanoha. The wielder of Revolver Knuckle scratched her head in dismay with her armored hand.

"Geez, what's with sub-commander Vita?"

"It is kind of strange," Teana agreed, "She's been in a bad mood ever since she heard we were coming here for part of the investigation."

"It's because this exact place doesn't hold the best of memories for Vita-chan or me." Nanoha explained as she turned around with an alarmingly disarming smile.

"What happened here?"

"The last time the two of us were here, we were up against a hideously more powerful opponent. I nearly died, in fact."

"No way!" Subaru exclaimed, leaning forward with her fists clenched. For her to imagine her role model and one of the Time Space Admin Bureau's acclaimed best, a girl who could clean the skies of enemies in seconds to be on the verge of death, was an unimaginable tarnish to the image.

Teana looked at her teammate for a second before looking back to her commander, "What happened?"

"Let's set up camp first. I can tell you in the mean time...

"It was nearly ten years ago, when I had just enlisted as a cadet, before I was the White Demon or the Aces of Aces. Vita, me, and many others were on a Lost Logia case that brought us here...

"It was a cold and snowy day..."

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**Person With Many Aliases Presents:**

"**Snake Eater"**

**A Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's Fanfiction.**

"**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha" Series property of Seven Arcs.**

**Original Characters property of Author Person With Many Aliases**

**Indiscrete References/ Rips/ Homages property of likewise respective trademarks**

**-**

**-**

**-**

_Nearly Ten Years Ago..._

The snow fell lightly amongst the ruins, and just as many playing cards as well, as their master floated idly through the cold, gray colored columns and partially demolished walls, cards at his will gouging a deep hole in the ground, drilling ever downwards to a supposed objective below.

As for Friagne Dientedeleon, he finally decided there were actually three kinds of aces.

Flip. A white glove held out an Ace of Spades.

"Those who seek strength."

Flip. A white glove held out an Ace of Diamonds.

"Those who live for pride."

Flip. A white glove held out an Ace of Hearts.

"And those who can read the tide of battle."

Of course, Friagne Dientedeleon knew he still had the Ace of Clubs left. The whole universe ran by the rules of the game, so therefore it was natural to assume there must be one more who could break all the previous three molds to become this final card.

"I wonder... who or what will stand for the Ace of Clubs. How interesting..."

Friagne Dientedeleon's pseudo-philosophical debate was cut short by a voice in his head.

Friagne Dientedeleon. Report.

"Ah, Aaroniero Arleri. Is that you?"

It is. Report.

"I haven't found much here, how annoying... how are the pests on your side?"

We've managed to contain the majority of them, but two mages managed to get past us. They're heading towards your position.

Friagne Dientedeleon sighed, "That means I'll have to break off my search for Relic here and deal with those people. How annoying. The last thing we want is to have the Relic stolen out from under us by that crazy doctor."

Indeed. Go forth, Friagne Dientedeleon, and bring us victory.

He brought his hand over his face, slowly sliding downwards to conjure the masks they all wore as symbol of their brotherhood. "Yes, Aaroniero Arleri. I will go forth."

**-For it is the will of Espada-**

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Takamachi Nanoha pointed towards the temple in the distance, "Vita-chan, look! That must be what those guys in white were trying to protect!"

"Right, let's keep this simple. Find out whatever Lost Logia these guys are after, get it before they do, and beat down anybody in the way." Vita called out from beside her while she brought her Device, Graf Eisen back behind her at ready. Even from the air, they could see one figure standing defiantly out in the open.

The pair closed in until they were floating a few feet in front of the suspicious fellow. He, like the others, was a very definition of the color white, though his dress was far more similar to those who hailed from Earth than the others, with his glamorous bone white three piece suit. Form fitting snappy pants, a vest over a clean shirt, and an open coat. A white fedora hat genteelly placed upon his head. The clothes were highlighted only by the blue necktie and lank hair that fell out from under the hat.

And like the others Nanoha and Vita managed to see as they raced passed in the battle, he wore a unique mask. A plain white surface that stretched across the face, leaving nothing to see but a series of triangular eye engravings that ran down in symmetrical columns on either side of the mask.

Nanoha and Vita couldn't help but feel more than a passing reminiscence to the disguises Lotte and Aria Lieze used, once upon a time.

The man clicked his neat side-zipped white shoes and fell into a mock bow.

"Welcome, esteemed war dogs of the Bureau." The man's masked face chortled as he rose again.

Vita snorted, "And who're you supposed to be?"

"Friagne Dientedeleon, though I have a marked displeasure to meet you."

"Tell it to someone who cares, you cheap two-bit villain." The knight retorted.

Nanoha cut in, "You guys... what are you doing here?"

Friagne Dientedeleon raised his arms dismissively, "What cheap two-bit villains do: destroy, scheme to destroy, rob, plan to rob, and various other selfish schemes that could only cause turmoil and grief to your precious, stilt-legged Bureau."

"I'm not going to get any other answer from you until I beat you, am I?" Nanoha sighed.

Friagne Dientedeleon's body shook with laughter, "Beat me? What soft words, when I have decided the only one leaving this place alive is me."

Nanoha and Vita immediately had their staves thrust out of them, both shouting in unison, "Load Cartridge!"

"_CARTRIDGE LOAD."_

"**EXPLOSION."**

The man in white raised his face slightly, before producing a single strip of stiff paper between his fingers, a four of clubs in all its stylized glory.

The wind began to pick up, sending drops of snow sideways. Soon enough playing cards also began fluttering in the wind, innumerable and all bleeding off from Friagne Dientedeleon's bleach form, as if his own body were only an illusion over sentient deck.

Nanoha and Vita both backed away slightly from the sudden appearance of their opponents weapon, while the man reared back the fingers carrying the card.

"Slash... WAVE!"

The four of clubs flying through the air was followed by a veritable wall of cards that stopped fluttering about their master to orient themselves and shoot at Nanoha and Vita.

Stone and snow exploded in front of Friagne Dientedeleon, his coat and hat fluttering in the wind.

Out of the smoke, Vita jetted out, fingers laced around small metal spheres that she held in front of her.

"Take THIS!" The knight cried, sliding to a halt and swinging Graf Eisen at the enlarging orbs, Belka magic sigil underneath her feet.

"**SCHWALBE FLIEGEN."**

The four red comets that raced towards the card-user was quickly stopped by a pulsing blue field that emanated from yet another card the man levitated in front of his outstretched fingers. Friagne Dientedeleon's defense also was stopping a rocket-propelled Graf Eisen.

"Break it through, Eisen!"

"**JA!"**

Vita's device broke through the crackling barrier with as much force as its cry, forcing the card-user to slide back or else be bloodied by the sharp end of Graf Eisen's Raketen form, cards fluttering from and around his from the whole time. With the red knight flying towards him again, Friagne Dientedeleon decided it was a good time to add a third dimension to his movement, taking to the air in lazy twirls while cards bleed out into the air from him.

He found Takamachi Nanoha above him, pink wings flapping out from Raising Heart as she pointed it down at Friagne Dientedeleon.

"_ACCEL SHOOTER."_

"...Shoot!"

The hailstorm of magic shots riddled across the man in the white suit and sent him in short pummeled intervals into the ground.

In the cratered snow, Vita slowed by the charred form of a previously pristine man in a white suit.

The girl snorted and swung Graf Eisen so it rested on her shoulder, "And what made you think you could beat us, huh? So start talking."

A deep chuckle rippled through Friagne Dientedeleon, shaking his masked face, "So you can call out my Bluff, but that's hardly enough for me to take some Bureau dogs like you seriously. Now it's my turn."

Friagne Dientedeleon degenerated into a storm of cards that flurried everywhere and blinded Vita's vision in a blizzard of paper. The knight growled as she held her device in front of her to ward away the cards from her face.

_Damn! A fake? _Vita realized, _Where did he go?_

In the ruins behind the knight, the limp cards leftover from the Slash Wave began to shift into a single thick pile, from which two gloved hands clawed up out of, followed by the arms, a white fedora hat...

Amidst the biting wind, Vita spun around on instinct to see four cards slicing through the air, each slamming into her red barrier with almost a hundred times the force of her own projectiles. As the defense failed, Friagne Dientedeleon slid into the knight's face, pressing a Joker into her stomach.

Vita only managed to widen her eyes before the two of them were caught in a massive explosion.

Nanoha screamed, "VITA-CHAN!"

Hands clapped, and Nanoha twisted in the air to see Friagne Dientedeleon standing atop one particular column, smacking his gloved hands together, cards still bleeding off his dandy form.

Nanoha kept Raising Heart trained on the man.

_I have to at least take care of him before I check on Vita-chan... but is he a fake as well?_

"That cry of terror, it's very inspiring. Would it sound better when your sounds of pain are mixed in as well?" The card user snidely queried with a tilt of his head.

"_ACCEL SHOOTER."_ Raising Heart retorted for Nanoha.

Friagne Dientedeleon disappeared under the hail of smoke and shining pink lances for a moment, before he dashed back out into the air toward Nanoha, cards flying from his sleeves. A double swipe only tagged the air underneath Nanoha's feet as Accel Fins propelled her upward. The blank white mask peered out and up from under the hat, voice sneering even stronger without a face.

"Guard Flush to Royal Crusher."

As Nanoha spun upward in the air, keeping an eye on the man who stood on the air far below, she heard a haunting tone of magic activating. Craning to look up, Nanoha's breath stopped at the sight of a circle of cards spinning high above her. Several suits of spades rained down from the distortion in the center of the ring with enough speed that the girl could only put up Protection Powered to stop the miniature blades. Clashing with sparks and small bolts of electricity against the defense, the spades glowed with a small magic sigil, each making their own minor penetration into the barrier. Altogether, though, they crashed right through.

At the same time, the origin of spade suit, the ring of cards, had already charged up a condensed ball of blue power.

Thus, Nanoha's scream as the spades ripped into her was cut short by a thick downpour of magic that bombarded her, the beam smashing into the ground with a massive shudder that kicked up snow and white smoke everywhere.

Friagne Dientedeleon silently indulged in the quiet of aftermath as he waited for the smoke to clear to see the bloody dog meat that was Nanoha, hands in his pockets.

He didn't expect the face of a massive golden sledge to roar out at him, though. Even the last minute defense of a ring of cards about his body sent him back a good several meters.

Vita, charred and missing her hat, but very much more alive than the limp Nanoha she stood above, lowered Graf Eisen's Gigantform, panting heavily while the triangle of the Belka shield disappeared.

_I only managed to get to Nanoha in time to ward off some of that last attack, but..._

Friagne Dientedeleon clapped heavily, "What wonderful reflexes. I didn't think there was a person alive who could dodge that explosion at such a close range. But then again, the speed of a Belka knight isn't something that's unknown now, is it?"

Vita ignored his taunts, instead speaking behind her, while keeping a glare at the tyrant in the three piece suit that stood in the air."Nanoha! Can you hear me?"

She got a silence, followed a few pathetic gurgles.

_I have to get us out of here..._

At the sight of the man raising his arms to conduct another miniaturized blizzard of cards about his body, and probably toward them again, Vita threw out a whirling red sphere of fairly unstable magic. Toward that ball of energy, Vita swung Graf Eisen's hefty form.

"Gigant... Eisengeheul!"

The resulting concussive blast, normally only enough to dizzy an enemy with the sound and light, was enough from the Gigantform to toss an off guard Friagne Dientedeleon through the air. As he righted himself, he found the crater that once contained the mage and the knight to be empty.

He snorted, while the royalty of the diamond suit slid into his upraised fingers, "Running away? We can't have that now, can we?"

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Vita cursed at the trail of blood Nanoha left, as she dragged her down a intact hallway inside the temple. You didn't even need magic to follow the smear of red left behind, but Vita couldn't do a thing about it.

There was so much _blood..._

Neither of them could leave the ruins area either. That Friag-whatever guy, sometime, had set up a horrendously complicated barrier around the area, on par to something Vita had to deal with when she and Signum had fought Nanoha and that Testarossa the second time.

Thoughts were literally tripped short as Vita's heel sunk into a crack in the floor, sending her and Nanoha, whom she under from underneath her arms and around her torso, backwards into a side room that was barren of anything.

Vita scrambled to hands and knees, "Nanoha! Nanoha, are you alright?"

_What a stupid thing to ask her. Does she LOOK alright?_

The injured mage's hoarse breathing slowed while she winced and opened a lid, "Vita-chan... it's cold."

_God, she' s bleeding, and it's snowing out... I don't have anything to cover her up with... I don't know any healing magic. Damnit, I relied on Shamal too much..._

"Stay away, Nanoha! I'm sure help will come soon!" Vita implored.

"But it's cold..." The girl mumbled, lids flickering in temptation to shut. Vita hissed and gathered up the mage in her arms.

"You idiot! Stay awake! Stay awake!" Vita cried, voice breaking at the thought of this person, who did so much for her and Miester Hayate, slowly fading away like this...

Vita's thoughts shouted into the air.

Hayate! Testarossa! Shamal! Signum! ANYBODY?

The only noise that returned was the dull rumble of the blizzard outside that was quickly gaining strength as night fell.

Anybody! Nanoha's hurt! Someone hear me

Nanoha? What a funny name... A voice that Vita didn't want to hear responded. The girl bared her fangs at nothing.

You...

Well, you asked for anybody. Don't worry about me finding you through this connection. I put some limitations on this spell so I won't find you. Makes hunting more interesting, hmmm?

I'll kill you!

I'd be flattered if you could kill one of the Espada.

Vita's eyes widened, Espada?

We without _Raison d'Etre_. But I'm speaking too much. You two must be tired after our strenuous round of cards. I'm sure sleep is the thing you need most now... Until then...

"Hey... hey! I'm not finished with you!" Vita yelled at nothing. Her gyrations made Nanoha murmur in pain, bringing the knight out of her fury.

"Hey, Nanoha! Stay awake!"

"I'm sorry... it's just I kind of get sleepy when it's cold..." Nanoha mumbled.

"Well... I'm keeping you warm! Don't fall asleep on me!"

"Sorry... I'll try..."

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The night went on, and Nanoha continued to slowly leak blood. Vita's dress however, the fabric pressed between the two girls huddled against each other to ward off the pervasive chill, did a bang-up job of sticking to Nanoha's wounds as a cheap clot. Nanoha continued to nod in out and out consciousness, while Vita's continued to try and call through the barrier, only to come up with nothing.

_Come on! I know they know something is wrong! Why can't they take down the barrier? At this rate..._

"Vita-chan... I'm sorry..." Nanoha's voice mumbled somewhere underneath the guardian knight's chin.

"Don't be stupid, what are you being sorry for?"

"I messed up... should have moved faster... now I'm hurt and getting you worried over me..."

Vita choked on that an vehemently refused that idea, "Shut up. I'm the one who messed up. I let my guard down when you hit his fake... I wasn't able to get to you in time... pathetic, that explosion should have been nothing to a belka knight... and I'm supposed to be a guardian..."

"It's not your fault... You're looking after me now, right...?"

"It's not the same."

The blizzard howled. Vita looked down to see Nanoha's bloodstained eyes starting to shut. She roused her with a nudge from her shoulder.

"Stay awake."

"Vita-chan... I'm tired."

"I know. Just... stay awake."

"Talk to me, Vita-chan... maybe I won't fall asleep that way..."

"Talk to you about what?"

"I don't know... tell me a story..."

Vita tried. She stumbled a bit at parts, as she threw up some rubbish story about a frowning rabbit that lived in the mountains on Belka. Yeah, Belka is a pretty mountainous place. Has these fantastic mists on the highest ones that light up well in the morning. Yeah, the rabbit loved to climb mountains with her friends... uh... yeah... a pink snake... and a dog... and a bird. Yeah, I know it's stupid, bear with me.

Nanoha managed to do so for the hours in which Vita spewed out drivel in an attempt to keep the injured mage well within the land of the living, a nonsense magic spell to revive the dead.

"Vita... I'm getting cold."

Hands gripped into the fabric of the other harder, as the white and red body shivered.

"You're going to be fine, Nanoha."

"It hurts..."

"I know, but it's only going to be for a while. Miester Hayate and the others are coming."

"I don't want to die..."

"You're not going to."

"I don't want to die!" The bloodied mage sobbed. Vita ignored her own glistening eyes as she hissed back.

"You're not going to!"

"I'm tired and it hurts and it's cold... I don't want to die like this... I want to see Fate-chan again... I want to see mom and dad... I promised to visit... and-and Hayate, and Yuuno-kun and Suzuka and Arisa... I want to sleep in my bed... I want to eat sweet potatoes... I want to see the morning mist on Belka... I don't want to die here!"

"Shut up! We're not going to die... we're not... we're going to get out of here, and we're going to beat the crap out of that Frognay guy... and helps going to come in time, and when we get out of here, we're going to lie in nice warm baths and eat all we want and I'll show you the best mountain on Belka to see the morning..."

"I don't want to die..."

"You're not going to die..."

And the night wore on, two girls huddling into each other, blood and tears continuing to mingle.

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Vita awoke from a wonderful dream and into a horrible nightmare.

Nanoha's eyes were closed, her skin colored as pale white and rust red as her clothes, save her frosty blue lips, while the girl limply laid against Vita's chest.

"Nanoha! Nanoha! Wake up!"

A dull pair of eyes cracked open slightly, and Nanoha gave a slight moan for a "good morning."

Vita swore under her breath and tried to contact anybody mentally again. Nothing.

"Nanoha... come on, wake up."

"What..."

Vita realized she was short on time.

_Why hasn't anybody come yet? There really is no other way, then..._

"Nanoha, we have to get out of here."

"Where... help..." 

"I don't know where everybody is. We have to do it ourselves. But I don't know how we can get the advantage over that card freak."

"Barrier..."

"Huh?"

"Barrier... last time... Starlight Breaker..."

Vita's eyes widened, "Don't be stupid! You're hurt! You can't even stand like this! What makes you think you can even handle something like that?"

"Last time... Shamal..."

"There's a big difference between your linker core and your body!"

"Trust..."

Vita looked away, torn. It was a whole lot more of an easier and more successful plan than Vita just going mano-a-mano against a monster like that... whateverhisnamewas, but she wasn't willing to bet Nanoha's body on it.

"I don't know, Nanoha."

The girl in question didn't respond.

Vita looked back, "Nanoha?"

Nanoha's eyes were closed peacefully.

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Friagne Dientedeleon heard the scream of anguish reverberate even through the air he stood upon.

"They're really not trying to stay alive, are they?" He snorted in turn, fingers snapping out commands.

From his lofty position just below the amorphous blue ceiling of the barrier encapsulating the ruins, the card-user had a front row seat of the rainstorm of white sheets slamming with unparalleled ferocity at the section of the ancient temple that was the center of the angered cry he heard. Dust and debris was thrown up to meet the falling snowflakes as the roof collapsed from the damage.

Out of the dusty air, Vita shrieked, pirouetting toward Friagne Dientedeleon with her rocket-powered dance partner.

"That again? I guess you can't even teach young dogs new tricks." The man in white mocked from under his mask, as he held up two cards in one hand to clash against the golden tip of Graf Eisen. As Vita struggled against the block, she screamed.

"She's DEAD!"

"Really. I wouldn't have guessed, seeing as how I sort of... ripped her to shreds and blasted her to bits with those attacks."

"Why you-"

"She must be feeling lonely in heaven, all by herself with nobody she knows. How inconsiderate of me. I'll just send you along then-"

Friagne Dientedeleon flicked his other arm at Vita, hurling a card point blank into her face. The knight yelped as she managed to bring the shaft of her Device to flare and spark against the flying blade. As she slid back through the air, her opponent took the moment to lunge forward with slashes from his awkward weapons, whizzing around the air around Vita, striking at various points in her defense, forcing her to continually swerve about in the air and orient her triangular shield against next angle of attack.

"**PFERD."** Graf Eisen suddenly hollered, forming green whirls of wind magic around Vita's feet, and launching her away from Friagne Dientedeleon faster than he could follow. As the Belka knight flew backwards, she summoned up more silver spheres into her hand.

"What, is that the only long range ability you have?" Friagne Dientedeleon sneered as he flew toward the Vita, cards flying off his body in a trail.

"**SCHWALBE FLIEGEN."** was the only response, sending another salvo of four toward the card mage. Friagne Dientedeleon swooped under one missile, sliced through the next two, and twirled around the last before lunging out with a King of Hearts at about the same area where Vita's own was, though another Panzer Schild came in the way.

"Hmph. Bark and whine is all you do, just like the rest of you Bureau dogs. It seems like Gil Graham was the only thing that came out of your group worth anything."

Vita shut one eye against the sparks while harshly retorting, "Oh yeah? Eisen!"

"**SCHWALBE RÜCKKEHRER."**

Friagne Dientedeleon's masked face turned behind him to see the remaining two projectiles swing about and hurtle toward his back. His sound of surprise was cut short as both metallic orbs crashed headlong into his back and head.

Vita cursed at the suited man exploding into a mass of cards. It was her mistake, though, to drop the shield just because the man himself was a Bluff. The very same cards that formed the fake immediately swarmed over a surprised Vita, sending her back against a wall and covering most of her limbs and torso in a layer of magic paper.

_Crap, I let my guard down..._

"There's really no point in struggling, Bureau dog. You can consider each card as an individual device, and each one casting a binding spell by themselves, and with so many at once..." Friagne Dientedeleon's jeering voice echoed through the air around Vita, forcing her to swing her head wildly, trying the guess the source.

"Where are you!"

"Wherever the game is."

Vita looked on in horror as a pair of white gloved hands tore outward through the layer of cards on her chest, followed by the arms, and a fedora hat...

Friagne Dientedeleon's entire upper torso emerged through the cards on Vita's chest, rising upwards with an entertained hum as he swung upward to look Vita face to mask.

"So then... You two managed to entertain me for an entire day... any last words?"

"... NANOHA! NOW!"

At that, a portion of the ruins behind the co-joined pair fell apart to reveal a massive ball of pink magic, even now still collecting portions of leftover magic left in the air by the knight and the Espada member. Behind the giant sphere of magic and the Midchildia sigil, Takomachi Nanoha sat propped against the wall, holding Raising Heart with one hand.

Friagne Dientedeleon choked in disbelief, and realized he was too far away to act. All he could do was throw a single Joker at the erupting attack, "Cut it through!"

"_COUNT ZERO."_

"Starlight... Breaker..."

The gentle tap against the roiling pink wall of the orb unleashed the massive, awe-inspiring snaking mass of bombardment magic upward toward the ceiling of the barrier, melting Friagne Dientedeleon's Joker effortlessly. Even the royal suit of diamonds hidden in the barrier, the source of the complicated defense algorithm, couldn't stand up to the sheer power. In moments, the blue dome shattered to pieces.

For once, Friagne Dientedeleon was at a loss for words. His mind, though was moving rapidly.

_I can't believe it. I actually fell for this girl's poker face, effortlessly making me believe her comrade had died. That Nanoha too... too weak to seek strength, too compassionate to find pride, too simple to read the tide of battle, yet she simply just powered through my barrier... could it be..._

"So, the Bureau dogs _do _have teeth after all. How annoying." The card mage joked to himself, before launching himself completely out of Vita and shooting toward Nanoha, cards gathering about his arms, "But letting you live would be an insult to me! Time for you to fold!"

"**SCHLANGENFORM."**

"_HAKEN SABER."_

The ground in front of Friagne Dientedeleon exploded. With desperate emergency manuvers, the white suited man tumbled higher into the air.

He found two familiars rearing back and launching the full force of their fists into his masked face. It was safe to say that the impact was astounding.

Vita cheered from her card prison at the sight of her friends descending from the sky, dropping spells of various kinds at the retreating beast that was Friagne Dientedeleon.

"Vita-chan! Are you alright?" Shamal called as she drifted from the sky.

"Forget me! Help Nanoha!" Vita desperately commanded, jerking her head toward the pathetic pile of a girl against the wall.

"Right!"

Friagne Dientedeleon slid to a halt in the air in front of Fate Testarossa, his mask fractured heavily.

"You... attacking a Bureau mage without any previous provocation, interfering with Bureau activities... if you don't resist, you will be granted a chance to plead in your defense... is what I would have said, except you attacked someone important to me. Bardiche!"

"_CARTIDGE LOAD. THUNDER BLADE."_

Friagne Dientedeleon chuckled, and despite his damage, bowed. "Looks like with so many players at this table, it's time for me to bow out. Enjoy this victory, I'm sure the corpse of your previous friend won't kill the mood too badly-"

"FIRE!" Fate roared. Swords fashioned of lightning slammed into the white man, but not before he snapped his fingers one more time, making his body unravel apart into a mass of cards that fluttered into the sky in a concentrated spiral, along with all the other left in the battlefield, including those that had held Vita captive.

Immediately, the red knight was scrambling over to her injured comrade, that was being tended by both Shamal, and Yuuno who had also arrived.

"Nanoha! Can you hear me! We're fine! Help's here! You did it!"

"Hmmm..."

"Nanoha? NANOHA!"

Glazed eyes drifted shut.

-

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-

Subaru's eyes were moist and reflective over the campfire, fingers anxiously being chewed, "What happened? Did you die?"

Teana sighed, "Subaru..."

Nanoha gave a sheepish smile, "Not really, though I did spend a month or so in the hospital. I took a lot of bad blows during that mission, but I made it out fine... and it was all thanks to Vita-chan, who worked so hard to protect me, right?"

The knight, who sat on top of a surviving corner of the room they were in, merely snorted, "Don't look into the fire. It ruins your night-vision."

"Always thinking ahead, Vita-chan."

"Hmph."

"Still, for you to return here, even after such a mission..." Teana murmured to herself, arms wrapped around her legs that were folded against her chest.

"It isn't this place's fault that I nearly died here, only that man, wherever he is. I'm sure that if Vita and I had fought him anywhere else at that same level of strength, it would have been the same. Maybe worse. But in the end, I'm alive, right? I can't let the past hold me down. Now then, you guys go to bed. Vita and I need to take a final watch around, alright?"

And as Teana and Subaru dozed off around the fire, the two veteran mages drifted idly through the air above the ruined temple.

"I still can't believe you can take this place with such a straight face."

"Well, if you want the truth, looking at those slashes in the stone still make me shiver. But he's not here, right?"

"Still... we were up against a Espada member... They've been a constant thorn in the Bureau's side for years. For us to even last against one guy..."

"We weren't that experienced then, Vita-chan. Things are different now. So even if we see him again, he'll be fighting the TSAB's feared White Devil and Aces of Aces, hmm?"

"I guess..."

"Don't ever blame yourself for what happened that day, Vita. I'll always feel like I'm indebted to you for keeping me alive."

"Don't. Nanoha, believe me... next time, I'll protect you properly."

Nanoha smiled, "Thank you."

Vita couldn't help but cheer up at that infective charm.

And the night wore on, two girls standing by each other, old memories and smiles floating away into the air.

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**Snake Eater: End**

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A/N: The Author apologizes for Friagne Dientedeleon. He and the other Espada are currently being beta-tested for optimum game-play balance in future releases.

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**Indulgence Encore Epilogue:**

In the dead of the night, they stood on the other side of the high hills.

"They'll be here by tomorrow."

"This will be fun eh, Aaroniero Arleri?"

"It's only fun for you. Idiot, you probably attracted the Bureau's attention just for fun, Friagne Dientedeleon."

"The world is nothing, if not a game, Kuma Oso."

"Shut up, the both of you. Unbelievable, I'm the newest of you all, and I'm more mature than the both of you combined."

"Gyah-ha-ha! You're one to speak, you who goes into a rage whenever you see that Testarossa Harlaown, Phoenix Entierro! Guess who's leading the guys east of the party in the ruins?"

"Hey, didn't your mother ever teach you to be courteous to women and children, Razlo Justicia? Or did she already abandon you at birth for having three arms?"

"Zaera Pollo, you little-"

"Enough. We have no time for divisions. We are outnumbered by them, but we are more experienced and individually more powerful. We will break into groups of three. A bait party will await the first party here. They must hold them and the reinforcing second party when they arrive as well. When that happens. I want the attacking team flanking them from behind.

"Where does that leave the third team, Aaroniero Arleri?"

"I want Phoenix Entierro tracking down that Jinki user before the enemy catches up."

"But-"

"I have no patience for your crusade for individuality from that Testarossa Harlaown. This will keep your mind on the job."

"...Fine."

"Very well, let us go forth and bring victory."

They all replied in unison, "Yes, we will go forth, for it is the will of Espada."


End file.
